North of England Interest Group

CONVENOR

email: noe.sig@fhwa.org.au

The North of England Interest Group covers half the counties of England.

From Northumberland and Cumbria and the Isle of Man in the far north, to the northern counties of the Midlands - and all who have ancestral connections to those counties are welcome.  We have been going strong for more than 20 years.  The inaugural meeting of the new group was held on 18 March 2001.  John Parker agreed to be the first Convenor, Joan Malpass became the Minutes Secretary and Sheila Van De Poll became the first Treasurer. Christine Ross initiated the Bygone Times newsletter. We started our second decade with our own logo. In red, white and blue (for England) it is the Tudor rose (a combination of the red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York) inside a cog, symbol of the industrial revolution that began in the north of England in the second half of the 18th century.

At first, general meetings of group members were held four times a year at the Society Research Centre in Bayswater. Recently a wider variety of meetings has been introduced, partly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic:

General Meetings continue to be held in person at the Bayswater Research Centre on the 2nd Sunday of March, June, September and December, 10.00am - 12.30pm, Unit 4.

Online General Meetings were introduced during periods of lock down during the pandemic, on the above dates. These meetings continue to be held occasionally.

Personal Research Meetings are held in Units 5 and 6 at the Bayswater Research Centre on the 2nd Sunday of February, May, August and November, 10.00am - 1.00pm

Proposed Online Meetings for problem solving are being considered.

Online attendance at overseas Family History Society Meetings are possible, and invitations are distributed as they arrive.

We follow a program designed to improve our knowledge about this area and its people, and give all members the opportunity to contribute.  After a short meeting to discuss any matters of business, members are invited to participate in the activities planned for the meeting. These may be training in the use of the Society facilities or searching in the library for information about your northern ancestors.  At most meetings one or more members give a presentation on an aspect of the north such as its people, places or activities. Some presentations encompass subjects of more general genealogical interest such as the importance of Wills. At most meetings time is given for members to provide a brief overview of their recent research, whether they've found some stepping stones or are stymied by a dry stone wall or two. 

Even if you are not from the north yourself, but have ancestors who lived or worked in the northern counties, we would be delighted if you joined us.

Please email us with any enquiries.